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PODCAST

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer

Every week, Heatmap News Executive Editor Robinson Meyer and Princeton University Professor and energy systems expert Jesse Jenkins make sense of the biggest shift of our time -- navigating the energy transition away from fossil fuels. Drawing on their years of experience reporting on and researching climate change and decarbonization, Meyer and Jenkins unpack the most important issues of the week and how the impacts of climate change and efforts to address it are transforming our economy, politics,

news business news

All Episodes

33:19

Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/04/15

For the past few years, Microsoft has basically carried the carbon removal industry on its shoulders. The software company has purchased 72 million tons of carbon removal, more than 40 times what any other organization has financed, according to third-party sources.Now it’s pulling back. As we reported last week, Microsoft has told suppliers and partners that it’s pausing new purchases. Though the company says that its program “has not ended,” even a temporary pullback will have significant

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46:42

A New Look at Why Electricity Prices Have Gone Up in...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/04/01

Electricity prices rose faster than overall inflation last year. Yet at the local level, it’s been difficult to know why. Is it data centers? Renewables? Aging infrastructure? Or something else more mysterious? Everyone in the political system — including senior Trump officials — wants to blame their favorite energy bugbear. But if we actually want to fix the problem, getting the real answer matters.Now, Heatmap and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research are teaming up to answer

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43:27

There’s a New Playbook for Cutting Power Prices

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/03/31

Since Democrats swept to statewide victories in Georgia and New Jersey last year by campaigning against high power prices, “electricity affordability” has been the watchword for climate-concerned politicians everywhere. But what can states and cities actually do to bring down power prices?The Federation of American Scientists, through its new Center for Regulatory Ingenuity, hasa new reportout on Tuesday about how to make it happen — and speed up clean energy deployment at the same time. On this

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48:01

The Big Reveal in China’s New Five-Year Plan

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/03/20

The new draft of China’s five year plan is here, and the news isn’t all good for climate advocates. Although China vows to expand its gigantic “clean energy bases” in the plan, it has actually walked back some of its biggest climate goals since 2021. The new plan also contains a mysterious — and politically convenient — change to one of its most important emissions estimates.On this episode of Shift Key, Rob is joined byLauri Myllyvirta, the lead analyst and co-founder of the Centre for Research on

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34:56

The Rivian R2 Couldn’t Have Come at a Better Time

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/03/18

Last week saw what is likely the biggest U.S. electric vehicle launch of the year: the Rivian R2, which will go on sale this spring. It’s absurdly well-timed, given surging gasoline prices. But can it carve out enough of a niche to compete?On this episode of Shift Key, Rob is joined by Jesse Jenkins in his new role as occasional guest cohost. Rob and Jesse discuss the Rivian R2, what the Strait of Hormuz closure could mean for global energy markets, and why the power grid is failing the data center

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51:37

A New Theory About Why Biden’s Big Climate Law Failed

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/03/11

When President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in 2022, Democrats imagined he was setting a new policy feedback loop in motion. Voters would see how the law was changing their communities — investing in new factories and solar farms — and then rally to protect it from Republicans.That didn’t happen. Last summer, Republicans in Congress repealed many of the law’s best climate policies. So what broke down?On this episode of Shift Key, Rob is joined byAlexander Gazmararian, a

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42:37

A Tale of Two Energy Shocks

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/03/06

We’re watching a new global energy crisis unfold in the wake of America and Israel’s campaign in Iran — and it could rapidly spiral into other industries and commodities. At the same time, there’s been legitimately promising news on iron-air batteries, suggesting the cheap and long-term energy storage technology might be ready for take-off.Rob is joined by Heatmap staff writers Matthew Zeitlin and Katie Brigham, as well as Heatmap’s deputy editor Jillian Goodman, to discuss the busy news week. They

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57:08

Data Centers Are Creating a New Kind of Battery Monster

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/02/25

Just a handful of tech companies plan to spend nearly $700 billion combined this year investing in artificial intelligence — and much of that money will go to data centers and the energy used to keep them on. How is this boom transforming the American energy system, and what does it mean for clean energy?On this episode of Shift Key, Rob is joined by Peter Freed, a founding partner at the Near Horizon Group and the former director of energy strategy at Meta from 2014 to 2024. They discuss why data

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42:06

Trump’s Assault on the Clean Air Act and What Happens...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/02/16

Rob is joined byJody Freeman, the director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School, to discuss the Trump administration’s war on the endangerment finding. They chat about how the Trump administration has already changed its argument since last summer, whether the Supreme Court will buy what it’s selling, and what it all means for the future of climate law.They also talk about whether the Clean Air Act has ever been an effective tool to fight greenhouse gas pollution — and

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32:55

What Senator Martin Heinrich Needs to See in a...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/02/09

Rob talks to Senator Martin Heinrich about whether Republicans and Democrats will reach a permitting reform deal this year. They chat about what Democrats would need to see in such a deal, how it could help transmission projects, and why such a deal will ultimately need to constrain President Trump in some way.They also discuss the future of Democratic energy and climate policy — what Heinrich learned from the Biden administration, what the Inflation Reduction Act got right (and wrong), and why data

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52:38

Why Trump’s Oil Imperialism Might Be a Tough Sell for...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2026/01/06

Over the weekend, the U.S. military entered Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. Maduro will now face drug and gun charges in New York, and some members of the Trump administration have described the operation as a law enforcement mission.President Donald Trump has taken a different tack. He has justified the operation by asserting that America is going to “take over” Venezuela’s oil reserves, even suggesting that oil companies might foot the bill for the broader

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59:34

Why the Rest of the World Is Buying Chinese EVs

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/12/10

China’s electric vehicle industry, it’s now well understood, is churning out cars that rival or exceed the best products coming out of the West. Chinese EVs are cheaper, cooler, more innovative, and have better range. And now they’re surging into car markets around the world — markets where consumers are hungry for clean, affordable transportation.On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob talks to Ilaria Mazzocco about her new report on how six countries around the world are dealing with the rise of

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50:46

Shift Key Live: The 2025 Elections, the Gates Memo,...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/11/14

It’s been a huge few weeks for climate news. Democrats swept state and local elections in New Jersey, Virginia, California, and New York City — and won two crucial regulatory races in Georgia. A few weeks before, the climate tech investor and philanthropist Bill Gates released a memo arguing for a pivot on climate funding vis a vis global health.On this special episode of Shift Key, Rob talks to Heatmap staff writers Emily Pontecorvo and Matthew Zeitlin about what the 2025 elections might mean for

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51:34

Shift Key Classic: Have China’s Carbon Emissions Peaked?

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/11/12

Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins are off this week. Please enjoy this selection from the Shift Key archive.China’s greenhouse gas emissions were essentially flat in 2024 — or they recorded a tiny increase, according toa November reportfrom the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA. A third of experts surveyed by the report believe that its coal emissions have peaked. Has the world’s No. 1 emitter of carbon pollution now turned a corner on climate change?Lauri Myllyvirta is the

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1:21:12

How EVs Can Actually Help the Electricity Crisis

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/11/05

Data centers aren’t the only driver of rising power use. The inexorable shift to electric vehicles — which has been slowed, but not stopped, by Donald Trump’s policies — is also pushing up electricity use across the country. That puts a strain on the grid — but EVs could also be a strength.On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob and Jesse talk to Apoorv Bhargava, the CEO and cofounder of Weavegrid, a startup that helps people charge their vehicles in a way that’s better and cleaner for the grid

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51:33

The Lesson Nuclear Companies Should Take From the...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/10/29

Electricity prices are the biggest economic issue in the New Jersey governor’s race, which is perhaps next month’s most closely watched election. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate and frontrunner, has pledged to freeze power prices for state residents after getting elected. Can she do that?On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob talks to Skanda Amarnath, the executive director of Employ America, a center-left think tank that aims to encourage a “full-employment, robust-growth economy.” He’s

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52:47

How Julian Brave NoiseCat Changed His Mind About...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/10/15

Julian Brave NoiseCat is a writer, Oscar-nominated filmmaker, champion powwow dancer, and student of Salish art and history. His first book, We Survived the Night, was released this week — it uses memoir, reporting, and literary anthology to tell the story of Native families across North America, including his own.NoiseCat was previously an environmental and climate activist at groups including 350.org and Data for Progress. On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob talks with Julian about Native

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1:04:04

Live From New York Climate Week: The AI and...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/09/26

Artificial intelligence is helping to drive up electricity demand in America. Energy costs are rising, and utilities are struggling to adjust. How should policymakers — and companies — respond to this moment?On this special episode of Shift Key, recorded live at Heatmap House during New York Climate Week, Rob leads a conversation about some potential paths forward. He’s joined first by Representative Sean Casten, the coauthor of a new Democratic bill seeking to lower electricity costs for consumers

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46:02

What J.P. Morgan’s Chief Climate Advisor Is Telling...

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/09/17

We live in a new energy era — one in which the inputs and technologies key to clean electricity production are at the heart of international politics. What will that mean for decarbonization? And how should climate tech companies prepare?On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob chats about those questions and more with Dr. Sarah Kapnick. She is the Global Head of Climate Advisory at J.P. Morgan, where she advises the bank's clients on climate, energy, biodiversity and sustainability topics. She was

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59:27

What Carbon Dioxide Has to Do With the Meaning of Life

Shift Key with Robinson Meyer ·

2025/09/03

How did life first form on Earth? What does entropy have to do with the origins of mammalian life — or the creation of the modern economy? And what chemical process do people, insects, Volkswagens, and coal power plants all share?On this week’s episode of Shift Key, Rob chats with Peter Brannen, the author of a new history of the planet,The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything. The book weaves together a single narrative from the Big Bang to the Permian explosion to the oil-devouring economy of

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